Lantana plant named ‘DLANTAN95’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lantana  plant named ‘DLANTAN95’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching growth habit; dense and bushy plant form; dark green-colored leaves; early and freely flowering habit; relatively long flowering period; large inflorescences with large flowers that are initially yellow in color, with development becoming red and yellow and eventually becoming red purple in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Lantana camara.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DLANTAN95’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantanaplant, botanically known as Lantana camara and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘DLANTAN95’.

The new Lantana plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel. Theobjective of the breeding program is to create new freely-branchingLantana plants with early and freely flowering habit and largeattractive flowers.

The new Lantana plant originated from a self-pollination in August, 2005in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel of a proprietary selection of Lantanacamara identified as code designation LT-7-52, not patented. The newLantana plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant from within the progeny of the stated self-pollinationin a controlled greenhouse environment in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israelin September, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lantana plant by terminal cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israelsince September, 2005 has shown that the unique features of this newLantana plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Lantana have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘DLANTAN95’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘DLANTAN95’ as a new and distinct Lantana plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching growth habit; dense and bushy plant form.    -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   5. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   6. Relatively long flowering period.    -   7. Relatively large inflorescences with large flowers that are        initially yellow in color, with development becoming red and        yellow and eventually becoming red purple in color.    -   8. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the parentselection. Plants of the new Lantana differ primarily from plants of theparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana are shorter than plants of the        parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Lantana are more freely branching and        denser than plants of the parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Lantana flower earlier than plants of the        parent selection.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the Lantanacamara ‘Miss Huff’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants ofthe new Lantana differ from plants of ‘Miss Huff’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana are shorter than plants of ‘Miss        Huff’.    -   2. Plants of the new Lantana flower earlier than plants of ‘Miss        Huff’.    -   3. Plants of the new Lantana have larger flowers than plants of        ‘Miss Huff’.    -   4. Plants of the new Lantana and ‘Miss Huff’ differ in flower        color as flowers of plants of ‘Miss Huff’ are orange and yellow        in color.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the Lantanacamara ‘DANTAN31’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,301. Inside-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Lantana differ from plantsof ‘DANTAN31’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana are more mounding than plants of        ‘DANTAN31’.    -   2. Plants of the new Lantana have larger flowers than plants of        ‘DANTAN31’.    -   3. Plants of the new Lantana and ‘DANTAN31’ differ in flower        color as flowers of plants of ‘DANTAN31’ are yellow in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Lantana plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Lantana plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘DLANTAN95’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalflowering plant of ‘DLANTAN95’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown during the autumn in 12-cm containersin a greenhouse and finished in an outdoor nursery in Moshav MishmarHashiva, Israel and under commercial practices typical of commercialLantana production. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 22° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures rangedfrom 22° C. to 28° C. Plants were pinched one time and were eight weeksfrom planting rooted cuttings when the photographs and the descriptionwere taken. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition 2007, exceptwhere general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lantana camara ‘DLANTAN95’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Lantana            camara identified as code designation LT-7-52, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Lantana            camara identified as code designation LT-7-52, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one week at            temperatures about 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two            weeks at temperatures about 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous and fleshy; medium in thickness;            typically white in color, actual color of the roots is            dependent on substrate composition, water quality,            fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and            physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright and mounding plant            habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching            growth habit; dense and bushy plant form.        -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 30 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with potentially two            lateral branches developing at every node; pinching enhances            lateral branch development.        -   Length.—About 30 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 5 mm to 8 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 2 cm to 4 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Texture.—Pubescent, scabrous; longitudinally ridged.        -   Color.—Close to 144A and 144B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 6 cm.        -   Width.—About 4 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate with deltoid tendencies.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Serrulate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, scabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,            close to 146D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 147B; venation, close to 148D.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong, flexible. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent, scabrous. Color, upper            surface: Close to 146D. Color, lower surface: Close to 148D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Solitary salverform            flowers arranged in terminal and axillary hemispherical            umbels; flowers face mostly upward or outward; freely            flowering habit with about 30 flowers developing per            inflorescence and numerous inflorescences developing per            plant during the flowering season.        -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants            begin flowering about five weeks from planting rooted            cuttings; long flowering period, plants of the new Lantana            flower continuously year round in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to            11 and from May to September in the cooler zones.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week; flowers not            persistent; inflorescences last about two weeks.        -   Fragrance.—Mildly fragrant; lemony.        -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,            four-parted; flowers are sessile. Diameter: About 1.2 cm.            Depth (height): About 2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm to            2 mm. Shape: Tubular. Color: Close to 61B.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of four fused petals.            Petal lobe length: About 3 mm to 5 mm. Petal lobe width:            About 5 mm to 9 mm. Petal lobe shape: Roughly obovate. Petal            lobe apex: Rounded and slightly emarginate. Petal margin:            Crenate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 12A.            When opening, lower surface: Close to 46D and 5C. Fully            opened, upper surface: Close to 17A and 46C; color becoming            closer to 71B with development. Fully opened, lower surface:            Close to 51B and 54A; color becoming closer to 72C with            development. Throat: Initially, close to 162C; color            becoming closer to 186C and 186D with development. Tube:            Initially, close to 166D; color becoming closer to 186B with            development.        -   Calyx.—Appearance: Tubular calyx with about 20 fused sepals.            Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Sepal shape:            Lanceolate. Sepal apex: Pointed. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal            texture, inner and outer surfaces: Pubescent, scabrous.            Sepal color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 141A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 cm to 5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm            to 3 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Aspect: About 45° from            stem axis. Texture: Pubescent, scabrous. Color: Close to            145A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement: Four            per flower, adnate to floral tube. Filament length: About            2 mm. Filament color: Close to 155A. Anther length: About            1 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly deltoid. Anther color: Close to            7A; color becoming closer to 166A with development. Pollen            amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower.            Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma color: Close to 145D.            Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary            color: Close to 145A. Fruits and seeds: Fruit and seed            development have not been observed on plants of the new            Lantana to date.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate wind and rain.-   Pathogen & pest tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have not been    observed to be tolerant to pathogens and pests common to Lantana    plants to date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lantana plant named ‘DLANTAN95’ asillustrated and described.